Topic: World Culture
Essential Question: How does your region’s culture affect your life and does that make us different?
Teacher: Mr. Licata
Grade: 7
School: St. Johns Lutheran
Date: 11.24.08
Overview
The purpose of this project is to examine, understand and appreciate diverse cultures, including your own. Our class will be participating in a worldwide project with 4-5 classes from other countries. Instead of reading about their cultures, we are going to ask them directly. We can then use the information that we acquire to determine how our region’s culture affects our lives and how their culture affects their lives and determine if different cultures really make us different.
Anticipated Learning Outcomes
_
• Provide technology skills concurrent with 21st century needs
• Learn traditions of other cultures
• Create and design websites
• Decrease biases and stereotypes
• Intensify curiosity about their own culture
• Increase students inquiry and analytical skills
The Product
The students will produce a wiki that will categorize everything that they have completed with this project. The end goal will be to articulate what culture means and how they perceive it. Students will be using a multitude of tools to accomplish this feat. The final product will include a wiki that has been made using Internet research; global collaboration through vodcasts, Podcasts, blogs, Googletalk, email, and social networks.
Project Activities
1. Let’s talk about culture:
a. What makes up your culture?
i. Write a small paragraph on each aspect of your culture.
2. Does the United States have a single culture?
a. Research Culture of U.S. at google.com
i. Click on advanced setting and type in “culture + encyclopedia”
3. You will be broken into 5 teams of 5-6 students at random
4. Teams will be broken into a Team President, a Secretary, a Foreign Correspondent, an Ambassador, and a Journalist. (Some teams will have an alternate that will share a responsibility each week.)
5. Each team member will be responsible to research one aspect of culture
6. Each team will be assigned to a culture based on the countries that we are paired with
7. Once a topic area is assigned each member will then research their part using the internet
8. Team Members will then join http://www.epals.com and a website later to be named on http://www.ning.com
a. Team Members from other schools will also be joining
b. Profile questions will be asked to start conversations
9. Team Members will form groups on these websites based on their country
10. Team Members will follow discussion prompts to tell about their culture.
11. After several discussions over Epals and Ning, Googletalk live videoconferences will be attempted with other countries. (Depending on time zone differences, vodcasts and podcast will be utilized).
a. These discussions will help facilitate a relationship will students abroad and help to answer questions about who they are
12. Once team members are satisfied with all their research, they will develop a wiki based on what they have completed. This wiki will include prior knowledge, all correspondence, video, and a completed presentation on what they learned.
Online collaborations will be started by Mr. Licata, through Epals and Ning. Mr. Licata has been using these sites to connect with teachers around he world. These collaborations will be documented through weekly blogs, video, podcasts, and email, which will later be added to the wiki.
Research Your own Culture Basic outline, poor quality, many unclear points, no pictures Statements with one or two supporting details, several unclear points, some pictures, flags Statements include adequate explanations, pictures included, flag included, no unclear points Statements are fully supported and explained. All points are clear. Includes pictures, flags, and a map.
Research Assigned Country’s Culture
Basic outline, poor quality, many unclear points, no pictures Statements with one or two supporting details, several unclear points, some pictures, flags Statements include adequate explanations, pictures included, flag included, no unclear points Statements are fully supported and explained. All points are clear. Includes pictures, flags, and a map.
Use of Social Networks
Lowest Post to Reply Ratio. Mostly fragmented remarks. Acts inappropriately Replies and posts often. Starts good discussions. Does not use proper English. Acts appropriately. Replies and posts often. Starts good conversations and responds accordingly. Uses proper English. Acts appropriately Excellent Post to Reply ratio. Post and Replies make sense and start new conversations.
Use of GoogleTalk, PodCast, Vodcast
Does not understand how technology works. Has some understanding of technology. Edits own work with help. Clarity is not excellent Understands how to use technology and how to works. Edits own work and adds in specials effects. Uses all technology expertly. Helps other students. Adds in special effects.
Development of Wiki Content is minimal, with factual errors. No clear organization. Not visually attractive. Spelling errors. Minimally contributes to group wiki Includes essential information, has some errors. Content is arranged logically. Some parts are visually attractive. Contributes to the development of the group wiki Subject area seems very knowledgeable. Content uses headers or bullets lists to organize, but overall organization seems flawed. Makes good use of font, color, pictures, effects. Contributes to the development of the wiki. Covers topic area in-depth. Subject knowledge is excellent. Content is well organized. Visually appealing. Contributes greatly to the overall development of the wiki
Conclusion / Reflection
So what does culture mean to you now. We have taken what was in the textbook or online and put it to the test by asking students from those countries. We have spoken, emailed, vodcast, and podcast, videoconferenced, blogged and created a website that details what we have learned.
So with that said, how would you answer these questions:
Do I know enough about my own culture?
Why do people perceive other people the way they do?
How does the world view Americans?
Are stereotypes true?
Was what I had thought about other people’s cultures true?
Are students my own age in other regions very different from me?
How can I be more aware of other people’s cultures?
2009-2010 Projects:
Teachers Wiki Pages
Mrs Schipani
Mr Licata
Ms Iosue
Ms Caldaio
Mrs. Aversano
Ms. Gay
Mr Smolka
St. John's Lutheran School
Collaborative Wiki space for our online projects.
Archived Projects
Topic: World Culture
Essential Question: How does your region’s culture affect your life and does that make us different?
Teacher: Mr. Licata
Grade: 7
School: St. Johns Lutheran
Date: 11.24.08
Overview
The purpose of this project is to examine, understand and appreciate diverse cultures, including your own. Our class will be participating in a worldwide project with 4-5 classes from other countries. Instead of reading about their cultures, we are going to ask them directly. We can then use the information that we acquire to determine how our region’s culture affects our lives and how their culture affects their lives and determine if different cultures really make us different.
Anticipated Learning Outcomes
_
• Provide technology skills concurrent with 21st century needs
• Learn traditions of other cultures
• Create and design websites
• Decrease biases and stereotypes
• Intensify curiosity about their own culture
• Increase students inquiry and analytical skills
The Product
The students will produce a wiki that will categorize everything that they have completed with this project. The end goal will be to articulate what culture means and how they perceive it. Students will be using a multitude of tools to accomplish this feat. The final product will include a wiki that has been made using Internet research; global collaboration through vodcasts, Podcasts, blogs, Googletalk, email, and social networks.
Project Activities
1. Let’s talk about culture:
a. What makes up your culture?
i. Write a small paragraph on each aspect of your culture.
2. Does the United States have a single culture?
a. Research Culture of U.S. at google.com
i. Click on advanced setting and type in “culture + encyclopedia”
3. You will be broken into 5 teams of 5-6 students at random
4. Teams will be broken into a Team President, a Secretary, a Foreign Correspondent, an Ambassador, and a Journalist. (Some teams will have an alternate that will share a responsibility each week.)
5. Each team member will be responsible to research one aspect of culture
6. Each team will be assigned to a culture based on the countries that we are paired with
7. Once a topic area is assigned each member will then research their part using the internet
8. Team Members will then join http://www.epals.com and a website later to be named on http://www.ning.com
a. Team Members from other schools will also be joining
b. Profile questions will be asked to start conversations
9. Team Members will form groups on these websites based on their country
10. Team Members will follow discussion prompts to tell about their culture.
11. After several discussions over Epals and Ning, Googletalk live videoconferences will be attempted with other countries. (Depending on time zone differences, vodcasts and podcast will be utilized).
a. These discussions will help facilitate a relationship will students abroad and help to answer questions about who they are
12. Once team members are satisfied with all their research, they will develop a wiki based on what they have completed. This wiki will include prior knowledge, all correspondence, video, and a completed presentation on what they learned.
Calendar of Due Dates: TBD
Websites to be used: Type of Website
http://www.Google.com Search Engine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/culture Search Engine
http://www.ipl.org Internet Public Library
http://www.googleearth.com Maps/Atlas
http://www.Google.com/talk Videoconference
http://www.apple.com/iTunes iTunes
http://www.lcweb2.loc/frd/cs/profiles.html Country Studies
http://www.cp-pc.ca/english Cultural Profiles
http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html
LOC Portal to the World
http://ning.com Social Network
http://epals.com Social Network
http://www.peacecorps.gov Cultural Videos
http://www.culturequest.us/definitionsofculture.htm
How Do Students Study Culture
http://www.skype.com/helloagain.html Videoconference
Collaborations
Online collaborations will be started by Mr. Licata, through Epals and Ning. Mr. Licata has been using these sites to connect with teachers around he world. These collaborations will be documented through weekly blogs, video, podcasts, and email, which will later be added to the wiki.
Assessment
Beginning
1 Developing
2 Accomplished
3 Exemplary
4 Score
Research Your own Culture Basic outline, poor quality, many unclear points, no pictures Statements with one or two supporting details, several unclear points, some pictures, flags Statements include adequate explanations, pictures included, flag included, no unclear points Statements are fully supported and explained. All points are clear. Includes pictures, flags, and a map.
Research Assigned Country’s Culture
Basic outline, poor quality, many unclear points, no pictures Statements with one or two supporting details, several unclear points, some pictures, flags Statements include adequate explanations, pictures included, flag included, no unclear points Statements are fully supported and explained. All points are clear. Includes pictures, flags, and a map.
Use of Social Networks
Lowest Post to Reply Ratio. Mostly fragmented remarks. Acts inappropriately Replies and posts often. Starts good discussions. Does not use proper English. Acts appropriately. Replies and posts often. Starts good conversations and responds accordingly. Uses proper English. Acts appropriately Excellent Post to Reply ratio. Post and Replies make sense and start new conversations.
Use of GoogleTalk, PodCast, Vodcast
Does not understand how technology works. Has some understanding of technology. Edits own work with help. Clarity is not excellent Understands how to use technology and how to works. Edits own work and adds in specials effects. Uses all technology expertly. Helps other students. Adds in special effects.
Development of Wiki Content is minimal, with factual errors. No clear organization. Not visually attractive. Spelling errors. Minimally contributes to group wiki Includes essential information, has some errors. Content is arranged logically. Some parts are visually attractive. Contributes to the development of the group wiki Subject area seems very knowledgeable. Content uses headers or bullets lists to organize, but overall organization seems flawed. Makes good use of font, color, pictures, effects. Contributes to the development of the wiki. Covers topic area in-depth. Subject knowledge is excellent. Content is well organized. Visually appealing. Contributes greatly to the overall development of the wiki
Conclusion / Reflection
So what does culture mean to you now. We have taken what was in the textbook or online and put it to the test by asking students from those countries. We have spoken, emailed, vodcast, and podcast, videoconferenced, blogged and created a website that details what we have learned.
So with that said, how would you answer these questions:
Do I know enough about my own culture?
Why do people perceive other people the way they do?
How does the world view Americans?
Are stereotypes true?
Was what I had thought about other people’s cultures true?
Are students my own age in other regions very different from me?
How can I be more aware of other people’s cultures?
How has technology changed the way we interact?
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